In the wake of Brian Wilson's death, we include these links to the Beach Boys' segments for your perusing:
Friday, June 13, 2025
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
People React to Brian Wilson's Death
All around the music world, universal praise and admiration for Brian Wilson.
Mike Love: "Today, the world lost a genius, and I lost a cousin by blood and my partner in music.
Brian Wilson wasn’t just the heart of The Beach Boys—he was the soul of our sound. From the first time we sang together as kids in my living room, I knew there was something otherworldly in him. His musical gifts were unmatched. The melodies he dreamed up, the emotions he poured into every note—Brian changed the course of music forever.
Our journey together was filled with moments of brilliance, heartbreak, laughter, complexity and most of all, LOVE . Like all families, we had our ups and downs. But through it all, we never stopped loving each other, and I never stopped being in awe of what he could do when he sat at a piano or his spontaneity in the studio.
Brian’s unique artistry and our collaboration gave the world the American dream of optimism, joy, and a sense of freedom—music that made people feel good, made them believe in an endless summer and endless possibilities. It was one of the greatest blessings of my life to experience that creative space with him.
It was our privilege to make the world believe in sunshine, surfing, and teenage dreams. My life was forever changed by Pet Sounds, God Only Knows, In My Room, Good Vibrations, The Warmth of the Sun and a hundred other pieces of his soul wrapped in music. He allowed us to show the world what vulnerability and brilliance sound like in harmony. He was fragile, he was intense, he was funny—and he was one of a kind.
My wife, Jacquelyne, and I are heartbroken. She stood beside me through so many chapters of this story, and we both send our love and prayers to Brian’s family, his children, and all who were touched by his life and gifts.
Brian, you once asked, “Wouldn’t it be nice if we were older?” Now you are timeless. May you rest in the peace you so deeply deserve, surrounded by the heavenly music you helped create. May your spirit soar as high as your falsetto, may your wings spread in effortless flight.
Thank you for the harmonies, the memories, and the love. Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, Love leaves a memory no one can steal.
I’ll miss you forever, my beloved cousin."
Al Jardine: "Brian Wilson, my friend, my classmate, my football teammate, my Beach Boy bandmate and my brother in spirit, I will always feel blessed that you were in our lives for as long as you were. I think the most comforting thought right now is that you are reunited with Carl and Dennis, singing those beuaitful harmonies again. You were a humble giant who always made me laugh and we will celebrate your music forever."
Paul McCartney: "Brian had that mysterious sense of musial genius that made his songs so achingly special. The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time. I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, 'God Only Knows'. Thank you, Brian."
Elton John: "I grew to love him as a person, and for me, he was the biggest influence on my songwriting ever; he was a musical genius and revolutionary. He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music forever. A true giant."
Graham Nash: "Rest in Peace, Brian Wilson. What joy, what vision, what genius he brought into our lives. He set the musical course in a new direction. How lucky we are to have his beautiful sound to cherish for all-time."
John Cusack, who played Brian in the 2014 movie Love and Mercy: "The maestro has passed--the man was an open heart with two legs--with an ear that heard the angels. Quite literally. Love and Mercy for you and yours tonight."
Mick Fleetwood: "Anyone with a musical bone in their body must be grateful for Brian Wilson's genius magical touch! And greatly saddened of this major worldly loss!!"
Neil Diamond: "Brian Wilson wasn't just a co-founder of the Beach Boys; he was a visionary who reshaped American music with his heart, harmony, and genius. Your music gave the world Good Vibrations and so much more."
Bruce Springsteen: "Brian Wilson was the most musically inventive voice in all of pop, with an otherwordly ear for harmony. Farewell, Maestro. Nothing but love and a lovely lasting debt from all of us over here on E Street."
John Lodge of the Moody Blues: "Birmingham, where I was born, was a very long way from the California of Brian Wilson...He brought the dream of endless summers, of golden beaches, of blue skies, and the music of harmonies that "woke up" a new generation and reached across the four corners of the world. Brian, the endless summer you created with your songs is still here, you engraved it into our minds and our lives...Thank you!"
Darlene Love: "Today I lost a dear friend and the world lost a true musical genius--Brian Wilson. I've known Brian since the very beginning of my career through Lou Adler, and over the years, we shared unforgettable memories, both on stage and in the studio. His creativity knew no limits, and his heart was just as big as his talent. I always said, 'The world always needs to see and hear Brian Wilson.' That's never been more true than it is today. Rest easy, Brian. Your music, your spirit, and your soul will live on forever."
LeAnn Rimes: "The world lost a true genius with the passing of Brian Wilson. His music wasn't just heard, it was felt. It changed us. It carried beauty, longing, and hope in a way only he could express. Brian, thank you for the gifts you gave the world. Your music is eternal."
Sean Ono Lennon: "Anyone who really knows me knows how heartbroken I am about Brian Wilson passing. He was our American Mozart. A one-of-a-kind genius from another world."
Nancy Sinatra: "His cherished music will live forever as he travels through the Universe and beyond. God bless you, sweet Brian."
Micky Dolenz of the Monkees: "Brian Wilson was a musical and spiritual giant. His melodies shaped generations, and his soul resonated in every note."
Randy Bachman: "We lost one of the greatest composers and messengers who took jazz harmony, put it to a Chuck Berry beat and made a new genre of music. Some of the best singles in the world."
Gene Simmons of Kiss: "Sadly, Brian Wilson has passed away. Songwriter, visionary. Thank you for a lifetime of wonderful melodies that spanned decades. I'm going to spend the day listening to the Beach Boys and reminiscing."
David Paich, founding member of Toto and amazing session musician: "His falsetto voice and iconic vocal blend were the sound of our generation. One of the greatest songwriters of our time."
A Sad Day as The Great Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys has Died
Brian Wilson, the genius behind the Beach Boys, has died at the age of 82. He was one of the 2 or 3 greatest musical minds of the last 70 years. The Beach Boys rank as The #16 Artist of the Rock Era*, as Inside The Rock Era brought to you in 2021. The Beach Boys piled up 54 career hits, with 15 reaching the Top 10 and 4 #1 songs. They have sold over 100 million albums.
(Wilson, middle back, with Jardine and Dennis, front, and Love and Carl to the left and right of him)
Wilson, with his brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and childhood friend Al Jardine, produced one of the most unique sounds in music history when they formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961. They hit the scene with great songs about surfing and cars, but led by Brian, they grew into much more than that.
Besides the introspective lyrics and complex arrangements, one thinks of harmonies when they think of the Beach Boys. They had some of the greatest harmonies ever recorded--the group is in the Vocal Hall of Fame as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Brian was the last surviving brother as drummer Dennis drowned in Marina Del Rey at age 39 on December 28, 1983 after drinking all day and then diving in the afternoon and lead guitarist Carl died in February of 1998 of lung cancer. Brian himself was in poor health for much of his life due to drugs, being seriously overweight, and abuse and misdiagnosis by his doctor, as brought out in the great movie Love and Mercy.
While he was with us, Brian was universally admired by musicians, critics and fans around the world. An innocent man with a great heart, Wilson was the force behind the Beach Boys and the album Pet Sounds, which although it may not be the first "concept album", was certainly one of the greatest and most influential. The album's tracks fit a theme rather than just a collection of songs, as all or nearly all albums that preceded it. Together, they form a cohesive narrative that ties the album together. Beyond that, Pet Sounds explores a wide range of emotions, from love, joy and hope to sadness and melancholy.
Pet Sounds was Wilson's masterpiece, featuring complex orchestral and rhythmic arrangements and innovative techniques in the studio that pushed the boundaries of popular music and influenced not only the Beatles but thousands and thousands of other groups and musical artists.
When he was 16, Brian received a reel-to-reel tape recorder for his birthday, and first learned how to overdub, something that he would show his brilliance with time and time again. Dennis, the only surfer in the group, suggested the group record songs about the sport and the group first became known for them, beginning with "Surfin'" in 1961. The following year, they scored the #14 hit "Surfin' Safari" (this remarkable video shows David Marks, who replaced Jardine in the group briefly).
"Surfin' USA became the group's first Top 10 hit at #3 in 1963.
"Surfer Girl" was another big hit and the first one to show Brian as producer.
Hot rods were another passion of the group that characterized their early sound.
"Little Deuce Coupe" was the title song of their first Platinum album.
Although "In My Room" wasn't a big hit at the time (at #23, one of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*), it is one of Brian's most influential.
The Beach Boys recorded five songs that are among The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*. The first one of those exploded onto the scene in 1964--"Fun, Fun, Fun".
That same year, Brian and the group enjoyed their first #1 song, the monster hit "I Get Around".
The flip side to that showed Brian's maturity and that heart, the calming "Don't Worry Baby".
"Help Me Rhonda" from 1965 is another of Rock's Top 500 Songs*. Part Two of The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era* feature on the Beach Boys goes in depth with the backstory of the recording of the song, in which Brian's verbally and physically abusive father barges in and disrupts the session. Brian let the tape run, and bootlegs of that confrontation are available.
Yet another Top 500 Song* that Brian and the Beach Boys are known for is the #3 smash, "California Girls".
The Beach Boys' fifth big hit, and one of their career best, was "Barbara Ann" later that year.
The Beatles released Rubber Soul, which greatly influenced what Wilson came up with next. Brian felt both "rattled" and inspired by the Beatles, driven to greater heights by them. Brian felt the group needed to evolve to compete with them, and wanted the Beach Boys to be seen on the same level.
Wilson's response was the remarkable Pet Sounds. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" features poignant lyrics about innocent love.
"God Only Knows" is one of Wilson's best compositions--Paul McCartney of the Beatles said that it is one of the best songs ever written. Beautiful.
Brian had this song playing in his head for months. Other members of the group were frustrated with the painstaking detail to which Brian went to in the recording process. "Good
Vibrations" was the most expensive single ever recorded, with estimates between $50,000 and $75,000 at the time ($401,000-$601,000) in today's dollars). Featuring The Wrecking Crew as backing musicians and the mind-blowing complex vocal and instrumental arrangements, it was the Beach Boys' biggest career hit.
Another of Brian's unappreciated gems is the great "Sail On, Sailor".
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